1. COMMON DOLPHIN BIOEXPEDITION.COM

2. Common dolphin THE COMMON DOLPHIN IS MEMBER OF THE FAMILY DELPHINIDAE THE COMMON DOLPHIN WAS THE MOST FREQUENTLY REPRESENTED IN THE ART AND LITERATURE OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME. BIOEXPEDITION.COM

3. Common dolphin THERE ARE TWO SPECIES OF COMMON DOLPHINS: THE LONG-BEAKED COMMON DOLPHIN (DELPHINUS CAPENSIS) SHORT-BEAKED COMMON DOLPHIN (DELPHINUS DELPHIS) BIOEXPEDITION.COM

4. Anatomy BOTH COMMON DOLPHIN SPECIES ARE MEDIUM SIZED MALES ARE GENERALLY LONGER AND HEAVIER THAN FEMALES THEY VARY IN SIZE FROM 6.2 TO 8.2 FT COMMON DOLPHINS CAN WEIGH BETWEEN 180 AND 520 LB BIOEXPEDITION.COM

5. Anatomy COMMON DOLPHINS ARE DISTINGUISHED FROM OTHER SPECIES BY A UNIQUE CRISSCROSS COLOR PATTERN FORMED BY INTERACTION OF THE DORSAL OVERLAY AND CAPE THE COLOR PATTERN ON THE BODY INCLUDES BLACK, WHITE, GREY, YELLOW OR GOLD BOTH SUBSPECIES HAS FROM 40 TO 67 PAIRS OF SMALL SHARP CONICAL TEETH IN EACH JAW BIOEXPEDITION.COM

6. Habitat COMMON DOLPHINS INHABIT WARM TEMPERATE AND TROPICAL WATERS OF THE ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC OCEANS THEY ARE ALSO FOUND IN THE CARIBBEAN AND MEDITERRANEAN SEAS THE SPECIES IS VERY ABUNDANT, WITH MANY AVAILABLE ESTIMATES FOR THE VARIOUS AREAS WHERE IT OCCURS BIOEXPEDITION.COM

7. Habitat THE LONG-BEAKED COMMON DOLPHIN ARE FOUND IN BIOEXPEDITION.COM SOUTHERN AFRICA SOUTH AMERICA MEXICO JAPAN KOREA TAIWAN

8. Behavior THESE FAST-SWIMMING DOLPHINS ARE HIGHLY ACTIVE COMMON DOLPHINS ARE SOMETIMES SEEN IN GROUPS OF MORE THAN 1,000 INDIVIDUALS THEY SOMETIMES ASSOCIATE WITH OTHER DOLPHIN SPECIES BIOEXPEDITION.COM

9. Behavior AT THE SURFACE, COMMON DOLPHINS ARE EXTREMELY ENERGETIC. AERIAL ACROBATICS ARE COMMON WITH THIS SPECIES SEASONALITY IN PREY AVAILABILITY MAY EXPLAIN THE COMMON DOLPHIN MIGRATION BIOEXPEDITION.COM

10. Feeding THE PREY OF COMMON DOLPHINS CONSISTS MAINLY OF SMALL FISH, KRILL AND SQUID THEY USE CO-OPERATIVE FEEDING TECHNIQUES IN THE PELAGIC NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN, DIET IS DOMINATED BY FISH AND CRUSTACEANS ARE OF MINOR IMPORTANCE BIOEXPEDITION.COM

11. Feeding LONG-BEAKED COMMON DOLPHINS ARE CAPABLE OF DIVING TO AT LEAST 900 FT TO CATCH PREY BIOEXPEDITION.COM ANNUAL FOOD INTAKE OF TWO DOLPHINS IN CAPTIVITY IS AROUND 2,200KG BETWEEN THE AGES OF 16 AND 25 YEARS

12. Reproduction GESTATION LASTS APPROXIMATELY 11 MONTHS WITH A CALVING INTERVAL FROM 1 TO 3 YEARS MALES BECOME SEXUALLY MATURE BETWEEN 3-12 YEARS AND FEMALES BETWEEN 2-7 YEARS BIOEXPEDITION.COM

13. Reproduction THE NEWBORN CALF HAS A LENGTH FROM 2.6 TO 3.3 FEET AND A WEIGHT OF ABOUT 20-22 LB THE AVERAGE LACTATION PERIOD LASTS 16.5 MONTHS AN AVERAGE RESTING PERIOD LASTS LESS THAN 3 MONTHS BIOEXPEDITION.COM

14. CONSERVATION AND THREATS COMMON DOLPHINS FACE A MIXTURE OF THREATS DUE TO HUMAN INFLUENCE. THE GREATEST THREATS TO COMMON DOLPHINS ARE THE INCIDENTAL CATCH, POLLUTION, OVERFISHING AND TOURISM BIOEXPEDITION.COM

15. CONSERVATION AND THREATS COMMON DOLPHINS ARE NOT COMMONLY SEEN IN CAPTIVITY COMMON DOLPHINS ARE CATEGORIZED AS "LEAST CONCERN" BY THE IUCN BIOEXPEDITION.COM

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